England closing on Australian lead
England closed to within 113 runs of an innings lead over fighting
Australia on Tuesday, after an engrossing second day of the final Ashes
Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tourists, chasing their first series win Down Under in 24 years,
got off to a rollicking start with a 98-run opening partnership before
Australia struck back with three wickets, including the big scalp of
Kevin Pietersen.
Michael Clarke’s Australians could have been in an even better
position at stumps when they had a crucial fourth wicket taken off them
by an umpire’s referral.
At the close, England were 167 for three in reply to Australia’s 280
with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 61 and nightwatchman James Anderson not
out one. Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott were out seven balls apart
and Pietersen threw away his wicket on 36 when he caught hooking.
Debutant Michael Beer was celebrating what he thought was his first
Test wicket when Cook on 45 skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only
for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a
suspected no-ball.
The spinner was proved to have overstepped.
It was the second time in the series that England had received such a
rare let-off after Matt Prior was recalled following a slips catch on
five on his way to scoring 85 in the fourth Melbourne Test.
Australia bounced back from the Cook reversal to remove the dangerous
Pietersen, when he couldn’t keep down a hook shot off a Johnson bouncer
and was caught by Beer at deep backward square. Hilfenhaus got the
initial breakthrough bowling Strauss for 60 with an unplayable ball that
collected his off-stump.
Strauss and Cook put on 98 in 92 minutes with skipper Strauss the
aggressor hammering eight fours and a six off 58 balls. Trott was out
for his first Test duck in Johnson’s next over, getting a thick inside
edge on to his stumps.
Earlier, Johnson and Hilfenhaus seized the initiative for the home
side after lunch with some lusty hitting in a lively 76-run partnership
for the ninth wicket.
In three balls, Hilfenhaus smashed Tim Bresnan for six over long-on
and Johnson lofted spinner Graeme Swann into the stands and followed up
by coming down the wicket to clobber Swann for four. Their batting
pyrotechnics boosted Australia’s score after the home side had teetered
at 189 for eight.
Johnson was bowled by Bresnan for 53 off 66 balls and Hilfenhaus was
caught behind off Anderson for 34 from 58 balls. SYDNEY, AFP |
